| Appliances, electronics, gadgets and all those other | | | | The Landfill and the NRE will accept these items |
| miscellaneous gizmos we have in our homes will all | | | | for metal recycling. The electronics are shredded |
| eventually become obsolete, broken or simply | | | | in a large hammer mill and then shipped for |
| unwanted. When that day comes, there is a way | | | | smelting. In a controlled environment, these items |
| to recycle them. | | | | are heated and the metals are extracted for |
| 10 months ago, a province wide computer and | | | | reuse. The bits of plastic and other non-metal |
| TV recycling program was launched. Since then, | | | | contaminants are incinerated and act as an |
| the city of Nanaimo has been diverting over 12 | | | | additional fuel source for the overall smelting |
| metric tonnes per week of waste TV's and old | | | | process. |
| computer systems. The program has been very | | | | My personal take on incineration is that I would |
| successful and lots of people, businesses and | | | | rather recycle a given item rather than burn it up |
| organizations have been taking full advantage of | | | | and loose it forever. The extraction of new or |
| the Electronics Recycling Program. | | | | virgin raw materials from the ground places a |
| However, often there is a dead microwave, VCR, | | | | greater strain on the environment than processing |
| toaster, stereo, or even a washer and dryer that | | | | already available materials, like plastics. |
| continues to sit somewhere in our homes, coffee | | | | So, when people can take the time to remove |
| room or storage area. What can be done with | | | | plastic from such electronic gadgets, the plastic |
| this material? Lots. | | | | can then be saved for reuse in a plastics recycling |
| This category of waste materials all has a | | | | stream. The important thing to remember is that |
| common element of construction, metal. Granted, | | | | for plastic recycling to work, all metal screws and |
| they may not be 100% metal like the tin can or | | | | other non-plastic materials must be removed as |
| pie plate. But there is a high enough metal content | | | | these contaminants can really disrupt the plastic |
| within them that makes it a valuable recyclable | | | | shredding process. |
| item. | | | | |